PM Network - May 2016

Give
and Go

Talent transitions don’t have to be a bump in the road for organizations. A knowledge transfer process can help deliver a smooth handoff and keep projects on track. We asked practitioners: How do you ensure effective knowledge transfer?

HAVE A CONVERSATION

When we transfer knowledge to co- workers, we do so with the intent of them understanding and utilizing that knowledge. It’s a two-way communication. And what makes a two-way communication effective? Feedback. This is the most important part of knowledge transfer, because it’s how we ensure whether the participants really understand what we want them to know.”

—Lieh Liao, PMI-ACP, PMP, special assistant to the chairman, CompuPack Technology Co. Ltd., Taipei, Taiwan

GET IT IN WRITING

In a previous position, I developed a tal- ent matrix that showcased the expertise of more than 100 team members. Each row was dedicated to a team member, and the columns listed areas of expertise, such as design, construction and project management. To create the matrix, I reviewed staff CVs to identify their knowledge areas, verified the information and then published the matrix for team use.

This has resulted in a wealth of knowledge kept
in a structured document accessible to the entire
company. It allows teams to identify resources of
specialized expertise not necessarily available within
each team separately and has facilitated knowledge
transfer between individuals and projects.”

—Sherif Hashem, PhD, PMP, program director, ASTAD Project Management, Doha, Qatar

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

You must choose the knowledge transfer methods that work best for the demo- graphics in your organization. Understand the generational learning preferences of all involved. In my experience, younger generations prefer web seminars, online videos and interactive materials, while older generations prefer formal training classes with on-site instructors. Tailoring your methods for different generations is about changing how your workforce learns and proactively addressing the influences and differences that can negatively impact training. This results in an environment that fosters and enhances knowledge transfer.”

—Anil Gosine, global program manager, MG Strategy+, Detroit, Michigan, USA

CROSS BORDERS

A project I worked on for an aerospace company involved transferring knowledge from an external Russian company to an internal team that was taking over the project. The process took nearly a year, and success was largely due to building a common language and common understanding throughout the project.

The time zone and language barriers were our top challenges. We overcame them by having key team members from Russia come onshore for a month at a time to work directly with the internal team. While there, the teams participated in demos and observed each other working.”